LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — CORBIN—Coming into Monday night’s opener in the 11-12 year old boys district tournament at Corbin, many were expecting a tight battle between North Laurel and Tri-City.

But the North Laurel All-Stars had other plans, as they jumped on Tri-City pitcher Cameron Nease early and often in a 14-3 win in four innings.

“I am kind of shocked that we won so easily,” North coach Lincoln Schott said. “Especially when Casey (Bargo, North’s pitcher) retired the side in the first two innings.”

Bargo turned in a gem of a game, going 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on just four hits while striking out seven. When he left the game in the fourth, he had thrown just 50 pitches, with 11 of those coming in the fourth inning.

“Casey, as usual, pitched a super game,” Schott said. “He was very good and very solid. And (Cade) Harbin came in and closed the door with a solid effort.”

North took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but could have had more, leaving the bases loaded after Bargo’s single drove in Jared Gay. Over the first three innings, North left seven runners stranded, but also scored seven runs, all coming with two outs in each inning.

“We’re a two-out rally team,” Schott said. “When we get two outs we start to hit the ball.”

North tacked on three runs in the second to push its lead to 4-0.

With two outs, Alex Binder doubled to left, and scored when Harbin singled. Gay followed with a single, then Bargo walked to load the bases for Landon Young. Harbin scored on a wild pitch, then Young singled in Gay for a 4-0 lead.

Three more runs, again with two outs, upped North’s lead to 7-0 in the third inning.

Hunter Bowling kept the inning alive with a single, and Binder followed with a single of his own. When Harbin reached on an error, both runners came home. Harbin again scored on a wild pitch.

Tri-City finally got its first hit in the bottom of the third when Tyreese Simmons led off with a single, but was left stranded when Bargo retired the next three batters.

A seven-run fourth inning sealed the deal for North Laurel as its lead grew to 14-0.

Landon Schott got things started with a single, and Rob Baldwin reached on an error. A single to center by Hunter Nantz saw the Tri-City player make an error which allowed Schott to score. Bowling was then brought in as a courtesy runner for Baldwin at third.

Austin Broughton was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Binder, who singled to center to score Bowling. A single by Harbin plated two more runs to make it 11-0. That was all for Nease, as Andrew Creech took over on the mound for Tri-City.

Gay greeted him with a single to right that scored Binder. Harbin would score on a wild pitch, and when Bargo grounded out short to first, Gay came home for a 14-0 lead.

Tri-City scored three runs in the bottom of the inning but it wasn’t nearly enough as North Laurel rolled, 14-3.

“This is just one more step in the big staircase we are climbing,” Schott said. “We’ve got a goal in mind. Everybody contributed tonight.”

North Laurel will now face Knox County Thursday at 6 p.m.

“Knox County has a very solid team, and they will come to play,” Schott said.

sports@sentinel-echo.com